The Malta Academy Selection Committee has just revealed that it has chosen ‘Carmen’ as the country’s submission for the ‘International Feature Film’ category of the 95th Oscars.

Written and directed by Valerie Buhagiar, ‘Carmen’ is an official treaty co-production between Malta and Canada. The film has been produced by Falkun Films’ Pierre Ellul and Anika Psaila Savona.

Inspired by true events, ‘Carmen’ is set in a Maltese village and follows the story of the titular character – a quasi-fifty-year-old woman who had been looking after her brother, the priest at the local church, since she was 16.

When she is suddenly left to start a new life, Carmen faces her past and brings colour to the lives of villagers.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences invites every country to submit one film to compete in the Best International Feature Film category.

A shortlist of 15 finalists is scheduled to be announced on 21st December. The final five nominees will be announced around a month later, on January 24th. This process will culminate in the 95th Academy Awards, taking place on March 12th in Los Angeles.

The Malta Academy Selection Committee is jointly spearheaded by the Malta Producers's Association (MPA) and the Malta Entertainment Industry and Arts association (MEIA).

The selection panel consists of 10 local individuals coming from a variety of diverse backgrounds related to or within the industry. Skill sets range from acting, directing, producing, and cinematography to expertise with Computer Generated Images (CGI) and academia.

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